Biometric financial transaction system and method

ABSTRACT

Tokenless biometric authorization of transaction between a consumer and a merchant uses an identicator and an access device. A consumer registers with the identicator a biometric sample taken from the consumer. The consumer and merchant establish communications via the access device. The merchant proposes a transaction to the consumer via the access device. The access device communicates to the merchant associated with the access device. After the consumer and merchant have agreed on the transaction, the consumer and the identicator use the access device to establish communications. The access device communicates to the identicator the code associated with the access device. The identicator compares biometric sample from the consumer with registered biometric sample. Upon successful identification, the identicator forwards information regarding the consumer to the merchant. These steps accomplish a biometrically authorized electronic financial transaction without the consumer having to present any personalized man-made memory tokens.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/108,703, filed May 16, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,073,756, which is acontinuation of US application Ser. No. 12/423,628, filed Apr. 14, 2009now U.S. Pat. No. 7,970,678, which is a division of U.S. applicationSer. No. 09/871,241, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,565,329, filed May 30, 2001,which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No.60/208,680, filed May 31, 2000, herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of tokenless biometric financialtransactions. Specifically, this invention is directed towards a systemand method for processing tokenless financial transactions using a wiredor wireless communication system such as a conventional telephone, acellular telephone, or a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA)wherein a biometric, such as a finger image or voice print, is used toauthorize the transaction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is an increasing need for consumers to be able to conveniently andsecurely purchase goods and services over the telephone (be it wired orwireless) or via a wireless PDA such as a Palm Pilot.

Conventionally, purchases made over the telephone are accomplished viathe use of a credit card. The consumer calls the merchant, places anorder for the appropriate goods and services, and then chooses a creditcard with which to pay for the transaction. The consumer then reads theaccount number and expiration date off the credit card to the customerservice representative at the merchant, who copies this information downand uses it to charge the account.

Purchases made using a wireless PDA or other device for accessing theInternet follow a similar pattern: the consumer connects to themerchant's web site, places an order, and then fills in a “form” withcredit card account number and expiration information. The merchant'scomputer system uses this information to charge the credit card account.

There are numerous problems with this conventional approach. First, thesystem is inconvenient for the consumer, in that the consumer mustrecite or enter a significant amount of information. Second, the systemis insecure, in that the credit card account information is generallytransmitted “in the clear,” making it subject to loss or compromise viainterception. Third, the system is inflexible, in that the only paymentmechanism that lends itself to use is the credit card; it is difficult,for example, to use one's checking account to pay via telephone.

A fourth problem is that transactions made without the card beingphysically present (as in the case of a telephone or Internet order) arecharged a higher “discount rate” than transactions where the card ispresent. The discount rate is the amount that the credit cardassociations, issuing banks, acquiring banks, and third-partytransaction processors collectively charge the merchant on eachtransaction, generally expressed as a percentage of the grosstransaction amount. Discount rates of 3%-5% for card-not-presenttransactions are common.

The fifth, and perhaps largest, problem is that the consumer canrepudiate the transaction at a later date, leaving the merchant liablefor the amount of the transaction. That is, a consumer can order goodsor services via telephone or the Internet, pay using his or her creditcard, and then later dispute the transaction. In the event of a dispute,credit card association rules place the burden on the merchant toproduce a signed receipt showing that the customer authorized thetransaction. Of course, in the case where the order took place over thetelephone or the Internet, no such signed receipt exists. As a result,the consumer can always claim that they didn't authorize thetransaction. Such a claim is called a “chargeback.” In the event of achargeback, the merchant not only ends up losing the transaction amount,but generally also must pay a chargeback fee of $10-$25.

A sixth problem is that many previously proposed solutions to theproblems cited require the consumer to physically possess apersonalized, portable, man-made memory device—referred to in thisspecification as a “token”—to carry out a transaction. “Personalized”means that a token that contains in memory information that is in someway unique to the consumer. An example of personalized data include acredit card number, a checking account number, or any other uniqueaccount number. Example tokens include credit cards, debit cards, paperchecks, and smart cards. A token can also be a PDA or wireless telephonethat has programmed with information personalized to the consumer thatis used to complete a financial transaction. The problems with requiringthe use of a token to complete a financial transaction are numerous: theconsumer must carry the token, which may be cumbersome; the loss ortheft of a consumer's token financially incapacitates the consumer; andstealing a consumer's token may allow a thief to make fraudulent chargesusing the token. Tokenless transaction systems are known in the art;examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,012 to Hoffman et al., U.S. Pat.No. 5,838,812 to Pare, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,723 to Pare, Jr.et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,148 to Pare, Jr. et al., and U.S. Pat. No.6,154,879 to Pare, Jr. et al., all of which are assigned to VeriStarCorporation, the assignee of the instant invention, and all of which areincorporated by reference.

As a result, there is a need for a new electronic financial transactionsystem that solves these problems for telephone and wireless PDA-styletransactions. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to providea new system and method for biometric financial transactions.

In particular, it is an object of the invention that each transactionauthorized using the invention cannot be repudiated by the consumer,thus eliminating chargebacks.

It is another object of the invention that the system and method beconvenient for the consumer, eliminating the need to recite or otherwiseenter credit card or other account numbers into a telephone or PDA.

It is another object of the invention that the system and method besecure, eliminating the possibility of fraud via interceptingtransmissions from the telephone or PDA.

It is still another object of the invention that the system and methodprovide the flexibility of supporting multiple types of financialaccounts, e.g., credit cards, debit cards, and checking (ACH) accounts.

It is another object of this invention that the consumer be able tocomplete a transaction on a tokenless basis. As such, this tokenlesstransaction occurs without the consumer being required to possess orpresent any man-made, portable devices which contain in memory data thatis personalized to the consumer, i.e., tokens. Although the consumer mayoptionally possess such tokens, the invention is expressly designed tofunction without requiring their use and as such, the invention isdesigned to be tokenless.

It is yet another object of the invention that the system and method,through its superior security and non-repudiation capabilities, justifya reduced discount rate for the merchant.

It is still another object of the invention that it be easy to integratewith existing merchant computer, information, and payment systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a method for tokenless biometric authorizationof an electronic transaction between a consumer and a merchant using anelectronic identicator and an access device. The method comprises thefollowing steps: In a consumer registration step, a consumer registerswith the electronic identicator at least one registration biometricsample taken directly from the consumer's person. In a firstcommunications establishment step, the consumer and merchant establishcommunications with each other via an access device capable of biometricinput, and wherein the access device is not required to contain inmemory any data that is personalized to the consumer. In a proposalstep, the merchant proposes a commercial transaction to the consumer viathe access device. In a first access device identification step, theaccess device communicates to the merchant an identification codeassociated with the access device. In a second communicationsestablishment step, after the consumer and merchant have agreed on theproposed commercial transaction, the consumer and the electronicidenticator use the access device to establish communications with eachother. In a second access device identification step, the access devicecommunicates to the electronic identicator the identification codeassociated with the access device. In a consumer identification step,the electronic identicator compares a bid biometric sample takendirectly from the consumer's person with at least one previouslyregistered biometric sample to produce a successful or failedidentification of the consumer. In an information forwarding step, uponsuccessful identification of the consumer, the electronic identicatorelectronically forwards information regarding the consumer to themerchant. Upon successful identification of the consumer, these stepsenable a biometrically authorized electronic financial transactionwithout the consumer being required to present any personalized man-madememory tokens.

Optionally, the electronic identicator may perform an electronicfinancial transaction authorization. In this embodiment, there is atransaction forwarding step, the merchant forwards information regardingthe commercial transaction to the electronic identicator. In anidentification code forwarding step, the merchant communicates to theelectronic identicator the identification code associated with theaccess device that was previously communicated to the merchant. In anassociation step, the identification code associated with the accessdevice is used to associate the biometric identification accomplished inthe consumer identification step with the information regarding thecommercial transaction. Finally, there is a financial transactionauthorization step: the electronic identicator executes a financialtransaction on behalf of the merchant.

Alternatively, the merchant may optionally perform an electronicfinancial transaction authorization. In this embodiment, there is anidentification code forwarding step, wherein the electronic identicatorforwards to the merchant the identification code associated with theaccess device that was previously communicated to the electronicidenticator. In an association step, the identification codes associatedwith the access device are used to associate the information regardingthe consumer with the commercial transaction. In a financial transactionauthorization step, the merchant executes a financial transaction.

The invention also includes a system for tokenless biometricauthorization of an electronic transaction between a consumer and amerchant. The system includes an electronic identicator, comprising atleast one computer further comprising at least one database wherein theconsumer registers at least one registration biometric sample takendirectly from the consumer's person. It also includes an access devicecapable of establishing communications between the consumer and themerchant, and between the consumer and the electronic identicator, andfurther comprising biometric input means, said access device not beingrequired to contain in memory any data that is personalized to theconsumer. There is a communication means for enabling communicationsbetween the consumer and the merchant, and between the consumer and theelectronic identicator, and capable of transmission of a bid biometricsample obtained by the access device from the person of the consumer tothe electronic identicator. A comparator engine is used to compare a bidbiometric sample to at least one registration biometric sample. Anexecution module is used for authorizing a transfer of a transactionamount from a financial account of the consumer to a financial accountof the payor. The system enables a financial transaction to be conductedwithout the consumer being required to possess any man-made tokenscontaining information in memory that is personalized to the consumer.

The electronic identicator can include means responsive to a comparisonmatching the bid biometric sample to the registration biometric sampleto forward information to the merchant regarding the consumer.

Information forwarded regarding the consumer may comprise a previouslyregistered financial account identifier belonging to the consumer, orthe consumer's age, or name, or address. It may also indicate thesuccess or failure of a financial transaction. Financial accountidentifiers may comprise a credit card number, a debit card number, or abank account number.

The access device may be a wireline telephone, a wireless telephone, atwo-way pager, a personal digital assistant, or a personal computer.Identification codes associated with an access may include telephonenumbers, electronic serial numbers (ESN), a hardware identificationcode, or encryption of a challenge message using a private key.

Communication of the identification code may be accomplished via callerID, and the first and second communication establishment steps may beimplemented using a telephone call, three-way calling, induced three-waycalling, or packet switching.

Biometrics used in the invention may include finger images, facialimages, retinal images, iris images, or voiceprints.

The execution module may optionally be located or operated by themerchant, or by the electronic identicator, or by a third party.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will become more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceedswith reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the overall collection of elements comprising the system.

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 illustrate examples of operation of the system of FIG.1 according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overall Architecture

As shown in FIG. 1, the invention comprises the following components.There is at least one consumer who is able to use the invention forpurchasing goods or services. Similarly, there is at least one merchantwho is able to fulfill orders from the consumer. The consumer has accessto an access device. As described in greater detail below, an accessdevice is simply a device that is capable of both communicating an orderto a merchant and also accepting a biometric from the consumer. Abiometric or a biometric sample is any unique human characteristic ofwhich a scan or image is taken directly from the person. The biometricor biometric sample may be, but is not limited to, any of the following:a voice print, a fingerprint, a retinal image, an iris image, a facialimage.

A third-party identicator provides the ability to accept biometric andother data as input, to identify the consumer from this data, and toeither complete a financial transaction on behalf of the merchant or toprovide information to the merchant to enable the merchant to complete afinancial transaction. Throughout this specification the terms“third-party identicator” and “electronic identicator” are usedinterchangeably; it is understood that the electronic identicator may beowned and/or operated by the merchant, the consumer, or a third party,without loss of generality.

Communication Links

Communication links exist or can be established between the accessdevice and the merchant, the access device and the third-partyidenticator, and the merchant and the third-party identicator. Acommunication link can be a permanent connection (e.g., a leased line),a temporary switched-circuit connection (e.g., a dialup telephone call),or a virtual connection (e.g., via packet switching). Encryption can beemployed on all communication links to protect sensitive data, as isstandard in the industry.

Access Device

An access device is any device that is capable of communicating an orderto a merchant and also accepting a biometric sample from the consumer.Different access devices are preferable in different situations. Theaccess device is not required to contain in memory any data which ispersonalized to or unique to the consumer in order for the consumer tocomplete a financial transaction. Example access devices include:

A standard wireline telephone. A consumer can use such a device to calla merchant and place an order, as is done today. Additionally, it can beused as a biometric input device using the consumer's voice as abiometric.

A wireless or cellular telephone. Just like a standard wirelinetelephone, a wireless telephone can also be used as an access deviceusing voice biometrics.

A wireless or cellular telephone with a built-in finger image scanner orother biometric sensor. This is like the example above, but uses abiometric other than voice, e.g., a finger image.

A wireless personal digital assistant (PDA) with a microphone or otherbiometric sensor. The wireless PDA can be used to enter and communicatean order to a merchant, and a microphone or other biometric sensor canbe used to input a biometric. Other access devices will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art.

Every access device possesses an identification (ID) code. This ID codeis preferably unique to the device, but is not required to be. Examplesof ID codes include a digital certificate stored in a PDA or wirelesstelephone, a telephone or ESN number stored in a wireless telephone, ora telephone number in the case of a wire-line phone. Note that in thislast example the ID code (the telephone number) is not unique to thedevice (the telephone) but is rather unique to the telephone line.

Third-Party Identicator

The third-party identicator is a data and call-processing centercomprising a database of biometric and financial account information forat least one, and ordinarily for many consumers.

An identicator can be a single computer that serves a particularmerchant or a large collection of computers that serve a number ofdifferent merchants. The third-party identicator accepts queries ofbiometric data and identifies consumers from this data. Once identified,the third-party identicator retrieves financial account data associatedwith that consumer. This financial account information either is thenused to directly charge the financial account, or is provided to themerchant to charge the account.

Third-party identicators are known in the art; an example third-partyidenticator is given in section 1.5 “System Description: Data ProcessingCenter” in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,012 to Hoffman, et al., which is assignedto the same entity that this invention is assigned to, and which ishereby incorporated by reference.

Use of the System Via Telephone Access Device

In one embodiment a telephone is the access device used. Use of thesystem in this embodiment proceeds as follows.

1. The consumer uses the access device (telephone) to contact themerchant.

2. The consumer and the merchant work out and agree upon the details ofthe transaction, including the goods or services to be ordered, the shipto and bill to addresses, and the transaction amount.

3. The merchant receives the ID code from the access device. In oneembodiment, this is via caller ID.

4. The merchant sends the ID code, the merchant identifying information,and the transaction amount to the third-party identicator. Thisinformation may be sent via an out-of-band channel (e.g., a separatenetwork connection or via a virtual private network) or it may be passedin-band at the start of step 5, below.

5. The merchant transfers the telephone call to the third-partyidenticator.

6. The third-party identicator prompts the consumer to enter theirbiometric. In one embodiment this biometric is a finger image. Inanother embodiment it is a voiceprint. Other biometrics are known. Thisbiometric information is sent to the third-party identicator.

7. The third-party identicator uses the biometric information toidentify the consumer. In the event that the consumer cannot beidentified from the supplied biometric, the third-party identicatorprompts the consumer to try again. If the consumer cannot be identifiedafter repeated tries, the third-party identicator transfers the call toa human customer service assistant, who can use other means to identifythe consumer.

8. In the event of a successful identification the third-partyidenticator retrieves account information for the consumer. Accountinformation consists of credit card or other financial account datasufficient to complete a financial transaction.

9. If necessary, the third-party identicator uses the ID to assist inmatching up the transaction information (merchant identificationinformation and amount) with the individual.

10. In one embodiment, the third-party identicator performs a financialtransaction using the retrieved financial account information. Inanother embodiment, the third-party identicator returns this financialaccount information to the merchant so that the merchant can complete afinancial transaction.

Use of System Via Personal Digital Assistant

In another embodiment, a wireless PDA is the access device used. Asdiscussed above, different biometrics are possible. For illustrativepurposes, a voice biometric is used in this embodiment. Use of thesystem in this embodiment proceeds as follows:

1. The consumer uses the access device (wireless PDA) to contact themerchant's web site or its equivalent.

2. The consumer and the merchant work out and agree upon the details ofthe transaction, including the goods or services to be ordered, the shipto and bill to addresses, and the transaction amount.

3. The merchant receives the ID code from the access device. In thisembodiment, this is either a digital certificate identification or anumber stored in the device.

4. The merchant sends the ID code, the merchant identifying information,and the transaction amount to the third-party identicator.

5. The merchant sends a message to the device indicating that the deviceshould contact the third-party identicator.

6. The third-party identicator sends a message to the device instructingit to prompt the consumer to enter his or her biometric. As describedabove, a voice biometric is used for illustrative purposes in thisembodiment, but other biometrics are possible. This biometricinformation is sent to the third-party identicator.

7. The third-party identicator uses the biometric information toidentify the consumer. In the event that the consumer cannot beidentified from the supplied biometric, the third-party identicatorprompts the consumer to try again. If the consumer cannot be identifiedafter repeated tries, the third-party identicator alerts a humancustomer service assistant, who can use other means to identify theconsumer.

8. In the event of a successful identification, the third-partyidenticator retrieves account information for the consumer. Accountinformation may consist of credit card account number or other financialaccount data sufficient to complete a financial transaction.

9. If necessary, the third-party identicator uses the ID to assist inmatching up the transaction information (merchant identificationinformation and amount) with the individual.

10. In one embodiment, the third-party identicator performs a financialtransaction using the retrieved financial account information. Inanother embodiment, the third-party identicator returns this financialaccount information to the merchant so that the merchant can complete afinancial transaction.

Use of System Via Telephone With Induced Three-Way Calling

In another embodiment, a telephone having a feature known as “inducedthree-way calling is the access device used. In this embodiment, anexternal entity (e.g., the merchant) can request that the telephone putthe current connection on hold and then dial out and establish anotherconnection. While this feature does not exist in current generationtelephones, implementation of such a feature would be straightforwardfor one of ordinary skill in the art. For illustrative purposes, a voicebiometric is used in this embodiment. Use of the system in thisembodiment proceeds as follows:

1. The consumer uses the access device (telephone) to contact themerchant.

2. The consumer and the merchant work out the details of thetransaction, including the goods or services to be ordered, the ship toand bill to addresses, and the transaction amount.

3. The merchant receives the ID code from the access device. In oneembodiment, this is via caller ID.

4. The merchant sends the ID code, the merchant identifying information,and the transaction amount to the third-party identicator. Thisinformation may be sent via an out-of-band channel (e.g., a separatenetwork connection or via a virtual private network) or it may be passedin-band at the start of step 5, below.

5. The merchant sends a message to the access device (telephone)instructing it to put the current call to the merchant on hold and tocall the third-party identicator.

6. The third-party identicator obtains the access device ID from theaccess device. In one embodiment, this is via caller ID.

7. The third-party identicator prompts the consumer to enter theirbiometric. In one embodiment this biometric is a finger image. Inanother embodiment it is a voiceprint. Other biometrics are known. Thisbiometric information is sent to the third-party identicator.

8. The third-party identicator uses the biometric information toidentify the consumer. In the event that the consumer cannot beidentified from the supplied biometric, the third-party identicatorprompts the consumer to try again. If the consumer cannot be identifiedafter repeated tries, the third-party identicator transfers the call toa human customer service assistant, who can use other means to identifythe consumer.

9. In the event of a successful identification the third-partyidenticator retrieves account information for the consumer. Accountinformation consists of credit card or other financial account datasufficient to complete a financial transaction.

10. If necessary, the third-party identicator uses the ID to assist inmatching up the transaction information (merchant identificationinformation and amount) with the individual.

11. In one embodiment, the third-party identicator performs a financialtransaction using the retrieved financial account information. Inanother embodiment, the third-party identicator returns this financialaccount information to the merchant so that the merchant can complete afinancial transaction.

12. The third-party identicator sends a message to the access deviceinstructing it to terminate the call and resume the call with themerchant.

13. The merchant now verifies that the transaction completedsuccessfully.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated how the objects of theinvention are met. As can be seen from the above, the invention ismarked advantageous over existing systems in numerous ways:

First, because each transaction is authorized using a biometric receivedfrom the consumer's person, the transaction cannot be repudiated,eliminating chargebacks.

Second, the invention is convenient for the consumer, in that thethird-party identicator handles all financial account information,eliminating the need to recite or otherwise enter credit card or otheraccount numbers into a telephone or PDA.

Third, the use of biometrics and encryption provides security,eliminating the possibility of fraud via intercepting transmissions fromthe telephone or PDA.

Fourth, the system supports the use of multiple types of financialaccounts, providing flexibility for the consumer.

Fifth, through its superior security and non-repudiation capabilities,the invention justifies a reduced discount rate for the merchant.

Sixth, by using ordinary telephone connections or existing wirelessconnections, the invention is easy to integrate with existing merchantcomputer, information, and payment systems.

Seventh, the invention does not require the consumer to use or possessany portable, man-made tokens containing data personalized to the userin order to complete a financial transaction.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a particularbiometric electronic transaction system and method for its use, it willbe appreciated that various modifications of the system and method arepossible without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving, at a dataprocessing center with which an individual has registered a wirelessdevice identification code associated with a wireless device, financialaccount data, and a biometric sample, a first request to use thefinancial account data of the individual for a transaction, the firstrequest at least including entity identifying information and beingreceived from an entity device in communication with the wirelessdevice; receiving, at the data processing center, a second request touse the financial account data of the individual for the transaction,wherein the second request is received from the wireless device;receiving, at the data processing center, the biometric sample takendirectly from the individual's person, wherein the biometric sample isreceived via the wireless device; comparing, at the data processingcenter, the biometric sample with one or more registered biometricsamples to produce a successful or failed identification of theindividual; and enabling, by the data processing center based upon asuccess identification of the individual, use of the financial accountdata of the individual for the transaction.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the individual has additionally registered with the dataprocessing center one or more of: a name, an address, and an age.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is one or more of: awireless telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant, and apersonal computer.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identificationcode is one or more of: a telephone number, an electronic serial number,a hardware identification code, and an encryption of a challenge messageusing a private key.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first requestalso comprises the identification code associated with the wirelessindividual device.
 6. The method of claim 1, comprising associating, atthe data processing center, the second request from the individual withthe first request from the entity.
 7. The method of claim 1, comprisingreceiving the first request from the entity to return individual dataincluding one or more of: the financial account data of the individual,the name, the address, and the age.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe first request comprises transaction data and the data processingcenter performs the transaction by using the financial account data ofthe individual.
 9. A system, comprising: a data processing center that:receives a request from an entity device to use financial account dataof an individual for a transaction, the request including a codeassociated with a wireless device of the individual and entityidentifying information, wherein the wireless device is in communicationwith the entity device; determines the individual to be associated withthe wireless devices; initiates a prompt for the individual to present abiometric sample via the wireless device; receives the biometric samplefrom the wireless device; and compares the biometric sample with one ormore registered biometric samples to produce a successful or failedresult, wherein upon successful comparison, the financial account dataof the individual is enabled for use for the transaction.
 10. The systemof claim 9, wherein the data processing center receives a transferredconnection between the entity and the individual, wherein the wirelessdevices of the individual is connected to the data processing center.11. The system of claim 9, wherein the data processing center initiatesthe prompt by determining the appropriate wireless device via the codeassociated with the wireless device.
 12. The system of claim 9, whereinupon a successful result of the comparison, the data processing centersends the financial account data of the individual to the entity. 13.The system of claim 9, wherein upon a successful result of thecomparison, the data processing center performs the transaction usingthe financial account data of the individual.
 14. The system of claim 9,wherein upon an unsuccessful comparison, the data processing centerdenies use of the financial account data of the individual for thetransaction.
 15. A data processing center, comprising: a processor; anda memory, wherein the processor and memory are communicatively coupledto one another; wherein the processor: initiates a prompt to a wirelessdevice, wherein the prompt is at least for an input of a biometricsample from an individual; receives a request from an entity to usefinancial account data of the individual for a transaction, the requestincluding wireless device identification data; receives, from a wirelessdevice, the wireless device identification data; matches the wirelessdevice identification data received from the entity with the wirelessdevice identification data receives from the wireless device; andresponds to the request from the entity.
 16. The data processing centerof claim 15, comprising a database that stores financial account dataand one or more registered biometric samples that the individual hasprovided to the database.
 17. The data processing center of claim 16,comprising a comparator engine that compares the one or more registeredbiometric samples to a biometric sample receives from a wireless device,wherein a successful comparison of the one or more registered biometricsamples with the received biometric sample enables use of the financialaccount data of the individual operating the wireless device for thetransaction.
 18. The data processing center of claim 15, comprising adatabase that stores the wireless device identification data, whereinthe stored wireless device identification data is one or more of: atelephone number, an electronic serial number, a hardware identificationcode, and an encryption of a challenge message using a private key. 19.The data processing center of claim 18, wherein the stored wirelessdevice identification data is associated with the one or more registeredbiometric samples and the financial account data.
 20. The dataprocessing center of claim 18, wherein the stored wireless deviceidentification data is used to establish communication with the wirelessdevice.